Slidable-side jaw wrench



M h 2 V. J. JAMAL v SLIDABLE-SIDE JAW WRENCH Filed Aug. 19, 1963 Inventor VICTOR J. JAMAL By a Patent Agent United States Patent 3,171,307 SLIDABLE-SIDE JAW WRENCH Victor J. Jamal, Crestwood, N.Y. (301 E. 48th St., New York 17, N.Y.) Filed Aug. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 302,926 4 Claims. (Cl. 81-130) The present invention relates to wrenches and more particularly to a slidable-side jaw wrench suitable for empolyment in relatively inaccessible locations of a workpiece.

Adjustable jaw wrenches are well known in the art but the ever increasing intricacy and complexity of modern mechanical devices calls for correspondingly ever more versatile tools. There are mechanical operations which require the use of a wrench which possesses the following characteristics: ability of engaging workpiece of varied width or thickness; ability of applying a purchase or grip on the workpiece by application of force in any conceivable planar position; rugged construction; simple assembly of a very limited number of elemental components; economically manufacturable.

It is an object of the present invention to provide such an adjustable jaw wrench which is characterized by the ease and facility with which its jaws can be engaged to a workpiece and which Wrench is constructed and arranged to permit the user to operate the wrench from a great plurality of positions with respect to a workpiece, thereby to be particularly well adapted for use where the workpiece is in a relatively inaccessible location.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an adjustable jaw wrench which is constructed and arranged to ensure that a purchase will be maintained at all times on a workpiece when the user operably applies pressure to the wrench handle, and further, which is constructed and arranged to permit the wrench handle to be operably connected to the wrench head in any of a plurality of positions so that the user will always be able to obtain maximum leverage for turning said workpiece.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an adjustable wrench which has substantially universal application and which is constructed from relatively few and simple parts so that it can be produced at a relatively low cost, and which wrench is ruggedly constructed to ensure long use thereof.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view in perspective of the adjustable wrench of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified form of the jaws of the adjustable wrench of the present invention showing a section of the end of the wrench handle in operable engagement with the rack of the movable jaw.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrange ment of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring to the drawings, one embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 1 wherein a head is provided having a fixed jaw 12 thereon. A slot 14 extends through the head 10 to provide a guide for a movable jaw 16.

The slot 14 is enlarged at its inner end for receiving a rack 18 which is formed on one end of the movable jaw 16. An aperture 20 extends through the head 10, normal to the plane of movement of the movable jaw 16 and the rack 18.

The aperture 20 is adapted to receive a removable wrench handle 22, which has a spline shaft 24 formed on its one end and another spline shaft 26 formed on its other end. The spline shafts 24 and 26 are adapted to be selectively used for engaging the rack 18 of the movable jaw 16. A pivotable joint-type member 28 is provided in the handle intermediate the two terminal spline shafts so as to allow greater variation in the angle of force application. It must be understood that said joint member 28 is pivotable in one plane at any one time. It may be either fixedly attached to the handle or it may be rotated to a number of fixed positions in a plane normal to the handles long axis.

For the purpose of explaining the operation of the spline shafts of the wrench handle 22 for actuating the movable jaw 16, reference is made to FIG. 2 of the drawings which shows a modified form of the present invention. The modification of the basic invention consists in that there is provided concave opposite faces on the jaws 12 and 16, and these faces are provided with serrations 19 so as to make this embodiment of the invention particularly well suited for use in turning relatively inaccessible pipe fittings, pipes and the like. The jaws may, if so desired, be coated with a suitable plastic material to protect the delicate work pieces employed especially in the aircraft and missile industries.

Referring again to the manner in which the removable handle 22 functions in actuating the jaw 16 with respect to the fixed jaw 12, it can be seen that the aperture 20 partially intersects the transverse slot 14. By virtue of this construction, the spline shaft 24 can be meshed with the rack 13 and on rotation of the handle 22, the jaw 16 will be caused to move toward or from the fixed jaw 12.

The aperture 20 extends completely through the head 10 to permit the removable handle 22 to be inserted into said aperture from either side of the head 10. By virtue of this arrangement, it is possible to use the wrench of the present invention for turning a workpiece in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction while the wrench handle is moved in the same plane of rotation. It is believed that this is readily understood, since it can be seen that the wrench can be used for turning a workpiece in one direction when the wrench head is engaged to the workpiece and in the opposite direction merely by removing the head from the handle, turning the head upside down and re-engaging it with the workpiece, inserting the handle into the opposite end of the aperture 20 and thereafter, applying pressure to the handle for moving it in a direction opposite to that in which it previously had been turned. In this manner, the jaws will be able to maintain a purchase on the workpiece when turned in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.

In the embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings, no detent means are shown for locking the removable handle to the wrench head beyond the degree of tightness elfectuable by manual operation, but it should be understood that any suitable type of spring-pressed ball detent or the like for providing a frictional engagement between the wrench head and the removable handle may be used. If desired, any other form of detent means may be used for removably locking the handle to the wrench head.

An important feature of the present invention is the great adaptability that can be made of the present adjust able wrench for turning workpieces which are in relatively inaccessible locations. As can be seen, either of the spline shafts 24 or 26 can be inserted into the wrench head 10. If the shaft 26 is inserted into the wrench head, and if it is necessary to have a relatively great leverage applied in order to turn the workpiece, a pipe or the like, not shown, can be telescoped over the spline shaft 24 for providing a longer lever arm. Also, as can be seen, the wrench handle can be inserted into the wrench head from the underside of the wrench head so that the user of the wrench can approach a workpiece from above or below and can turn the Wrench in either direction as is necessary. Furthermore, by virtue of the pivotable joint-type member 28 it is possible to exert pressure on the workpiece by operating the handle 22 at any desired angle.

From the above description, it also will be apparent that the user of the present adjustable wrench will always be able to insert the wrench handle 22 into the wrench head 20 in such a manner that the force applied for turning the handle may be normal to the initial path of movement thereof. Further, the user will always maintain a purchase on the workpiece when applying pressure to the handle, since the effective pressures exerted by the jaws on the workpiece will be proportional to the pressures applied to the wrench handle.

As can be seen, the present adjustable wrench is made from relatively few and simple parts which can be manufactured in any suitable manner, such as by forging or the like to provide a rugged construction ensuring long use thereof, and further, enabling production to be had thereof at a relatively low cost.

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable slidable-side jaw Wrench consisting essentially of:

(a) a head having a fixed jaw thereon, an aperture therethrough and a slot therein, said slot running the entire length of one end of said head;

(1)) a movable jaw guidable in said slot for movement toward and from said fixed jaw and having a rack formed on its one side;

(c) a substantially L-shaped handle having terminal spline shafts thereon and a one-plane pivot-able jointtype member intermediate said spline shafts, said spline shafts being interchangeably insertable into said aperture of said head for meshing with said rack of said movable jaw whereby a purchase on a workpiece may be obtained by said wrench in relatively inaccessible locations of said workpiece when said handle is inserted at any angle about its axis of rotation.

2. The device, according to claim 1, wherein the faces of said fixed and said movable jaws are concavely shaped and are provided with serrations therein.

3. The device, according to claim 1, wherein the faces of said fixed and said movable jaws are coated with a suitable protective plastic material to prevent damage to the purchased workpiece. V

4. The device, according to claim 1, wherein said pivotable joint-type member is rotatable into any number of fixed positions in a plane normal to said handles long axis.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 440,435 11/90 ONeill et a1.

790,031 5/05 Crowell et al. 74546 909,469 1/09 Solberg 269-227 X 986,112 3/11 Wood. 1,023,001 4/12 Bennetch 81133 1,197,063 9/ 16 Robinson. 1,430,694 10/22 Short 81133 1,670,210 5/28 Parker 74-546 X 2,594,684 4/52 Rothe. 2,725,086 11/55 Keyes et al.

FOREIGN PATENTS 36,080 12/05 Switzerland.

\VILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN ADJUSTABLE SLIDABLE-SIDE JAW WRENCH CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF: (A) A HEAD HAVING A FIXED JAW THEREON, AN APERTURE THERETHROUGH AND A SLOT THEREIN, SAID SLOT RUNNING THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF ONE END OF SAID HEAD; (B) A MOVABLE JAW GUIDABLE IN SAID SLOT FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND FROM SAID FIXED JAW AND HAVING A RACK FORMED ON ITS ONE SIDE; (C) A SUBSTANTIALLY L-SHAPED HANDLE HAVING TERMINAL SPLINE SHAFTS THEREON AND A ONE-PLANE PIVOTABLE JOINTTYPE MEMBER INTERMEDIATE SAID SPLINE SHAFTS, SAID SPLINE SHAFTS BEING INTERCHANGEABLY INSERTABLE INTO SAID APERTURE OF SAID HEAD FOR MESHING WITH SAID RACK OF SAID MOVABLE JAW WHEREBY A PURCHASE ON A WORKPIECE MAY BE OBTAINED BY SAID WRENCH IN RELATIVELY INACCESSIBLE LOCATIONS OF SAID WORKPIECE WHEN SAID HANDLE IS INSERTED AT ANY ANGLE ABOUT ITS AXIS OF ROTATION. 